RECAP

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes struck twice in the third period to erase a two-goal deficit and earn a point, but the Anaheim Ducks captured the extra, taking a 3-2 overtime decision at Lenovo Center on Sunday.

GAME SUMMARY | BOX SCORE | UPCOMING HOME GAMES

Despite a 10-7 shot advantage for the home club in the opening period, the Ducks buried the game's first goal midway through the frame and held a 1-0 lead at the first break. A scoreless second stanza yielded the game's first power-play opportunities for both clubs, but no goals - though Carolina's shot advantage swelled to 21-10.

Against the run of play, another Ducks goal just 1:18 into the final frame made Carolina's mountain a bit harder to climb. Sebastian Aho appeared to get the Canes on the board at 7:25, but his goal was disallowed upon review due to goaltender interference. Nevertheless, Carolina responded with a beautiful tic-tac-toe play 23 seconds after action resumed, culminating in Aho finding Andrei Svechnikov wide open at the back door for the hosts' first (legal) goal to halve the deficit.

The Hurricanes continued to dominate possession from there before finally, inside the final minute of play, knotting the score at two. With Pyotr Kochetkov pulled for an extra skater, Seth Jarvis took a Martin Necas pass at the bottom of the left circle, spun, and tucked it upstairs past Lukas Dostal to force overtime.

In the extra period, though, Cutter Gauthier's second strike of the night sealed the second point for Anaheim at 1:52 of the five-minute frame.

Kochetkov finished with 17 saves on 20 shots.

ANA at CAR | Recap

Stats & Standouts

  • From opening night until American Thanksgiving, the Canes scored first in 14 of their 22 games played - first among all NHL teams. After conceding the opening tally against Anaheim tonight, they've now scored first in just 7 of their 22 outings since Thanksgiving - tied for the second-fewest in the league.
  • With a goal in the third period, Andrei Svechnikov extended his point streak to five consecutive games - the longest active stretch on the roster and three shy of his season high of eight. Svechnikov's 15 goals are tied with Martin Necas for second on the team, trailing only Jack Roslovic's 17.
  • Speaking of Necas, his two assists tonight marked his first multi-point performance since Dec. 5. Necas produced two or more points in 12 of 22 games to start the season, but just twice since then before tonight. He's now found the scoresheet in five of his last eight outings, and his first double feature of 2025 could be a positive sign of things to come (back) for #88.
  • After missing the last seven games due to an upper-body injury, Shayne Gostisbehere returned to the lineup tonight. He played 20:36 - including 3:11 on the power play - and registered three shots.

They Said It...

Eric Staal describing his emotions during the pregame ceremony..

“I didn’t really know what to expect. I remember as a player being through some of those ceremonies and moments, but when it’s really focused on you, it’s kind of a weird feeling. It’s such a team sport and such a collective thing, that when you have a night where it's totally narrowed in on you, it's a little different. But it's special, too, to be able to just have an opportunity and a platform to speak some truth into some people that mean a lot to you, and that was what I was excited to do. I tried to speak the right words that came from the heart and deliver them as best I could, then enjoy the moment."

Rod Brind'Amour on the loss...

"I thought we got better as the game went on. It was a sluggish start. It wasn't great. It wasn't poor, but it wasn't great. I thought we played pretty well after that. I love how we fought and came back. We got a power play goal and got it taken off the board. That same power play we scored again and then we tied it up late. It was a good effort... We had our opportunities tonight. There were a couple of goals there that you'd like to have back, but that's hockey. I liked the way we dug in and kept going. It wasn't a pretty game necessarily, but I thought we got better as it went on."

Jordan Staal sharing similar thoughts...

"We definitely gave ourselves enough chances to win the game. We didn't give up a ton. I thought the game was there. The boys battled back and grinded out a point, but obviously it's still kind of a kick in the privates at the end."

Jaccob Slavin describing his difference in the game...

"We had our opportunities to score. Their goalie made some big saves and we had some lapses. Overall, I thought we played a pretty good game, it was just a couple of shifts and a couple of bounces and that was the game... We didn't bear down on our scoring chances and we had a lot of them. We just have to score a little bit more."

Jordan Staal speaks on tonight's 3-2 lose to the Anaheim Ducks.

What's Next?

Carolina will not practice tomorrow. They will before traveling to Buffalo on Tuesday. They'll then take on the Sabres Wednesday night at KeyBank Center.

Next Game: Wednesday, Jan. 15 at Buffalo | 6:00 p.m.

Next Home Game: Friday, Jan. 17 vs. Vegas | 7:00 pm | Tickets | Parking | Upcoming Theme Nights